The Cutting Class

Alexander Wang, AW12.

On first impression Alexanders Wang’s recent Autumn- Winter 2012 collection was all about textures - matt vs. shiny, coated vs. uncoated, bubbled vs. smooth. The subtext however was far more interesting and by reading further into the use of all these textures there was a sense that the collection was actually much more about control.

Whether it was in the fluid soft-handling chiffons trapped in the seams of leather bodices, or the bubbled wooly fabrics glossed under a slick coating, there was a layering effect that was all about using discipline - and the contrasts were in effect just a tool for showing the control. The glossy maroon textured fabric was more interesting when seamed directly next to it’s unglossed counterpart. The wet-look ridged fabrics were nicely offset by matt press studs. Even the way that the press studs in themselves were used to hold lapels back in place were a small token of control in themselves, and also served as a punctuation mark on the garments.

Images from Vogue.co.uk».

Daniel Lee, Central Saint Martins MA Collection, 2011.

Students and graduates often develop their own textiles for their collections as a means of creating something that is uniquely their own. At times this is also a more cost effect way of getting the effect that they want, without having to source and develop more expensive variations. This is particularly true if the student is able to actually make, dye or print the fabric themselves, though this can be dependent on the facilities available to them at their university or college. At other times it may be more effective and time efficient for them to develop the textile with a specialist who is happy to create small sample quantities.

Devoré is an effect which is often seen on fabric bought by the meter but that can also be done by individuals in a small workshop space or even in a home environment. The basic principle is that it works on a fabric which has different fibre types. A paste is applied which burns away the viscose and cellulose fibres and leaves behind other fibres such as polyester, silk and wool. This means that on a pile fabric such as velvet you will achieve a raised effect, and on other fabrics, depending on the weave of the base cloth you will end up with sheer sections. Fabrics can be bought by the meter specifically for the purpose of devoré, or you could experiment on other fabrics which you believe have the right mix of fibres. Most base clothes come in a white or natural so that you can then dye the fabric to the colour that you desire.

The images above and below show how Central Saint Martins Graduate Daniel Lee used the devoré technique in his MA show. The technique is used in conjunction with screenprinting of a different design, so that one pattern is taking away from the fabric and creating a sheer negative shape, while another is adding on top of the fabric and blocking out a positive shape.

The directions below are an excerpt from George Weil: Traditional Craft Supplies». This will give you an overview of the basic process of devoré. It is recommended with all textile products that you use the instructions specific to the manufacturer of the product, however you may want to read other techniques online to pick up tips and tricks along the way as this can help you to troubleshoot if you don’t get exactly the result that you wanted.

Dupont Devorant is package in two containers; a reactant and a paste.

1. Wear rubber gloves. The reactant powder is a corrosive compound which can cause burns or be a respiratory irritant. The final mixture therefore has the same properties and should be used with caution. To create the devorant paste, mix exactly 15% reactant to 85% paste (or 3 parts reactant to 17 parts paste).

2. The ingredients must be stirred until completely mixed together. The mixture can be kept in an airtight container for up to 8 days but will no longer work once it becomes too liquid.

3. Pin fabric to a frame and draw a design using an autofade pen.

4. Working from the back of the fabric, the devorant can be applied using a brush, stamps, through a silk screen, using screen printing techniques, or from an applicator bottle.

5. Leave the devorant to dry completely. A hair dryer can be used to speed drying.

6. To activate the devorant: ALWAYS WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA, as ironing will release an acrid vapour.

7. Place a cloth between the piece of work and the sole plate of the iron. 
   Iron the dried work on the reverse (the side on which the devorant was applied) on a cotton/wool setting without steam. Iron until a yellowish colour appears on the treated areas.

8. Wearing rubber gloves, soak the fabric in warm soapy water and rinse. The devorant should now have removed the cellulose fibres.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».

Alexander McQueen, AW11.

As good as full length catwalk images are, they only go part way into showing how clever the designers and their teams really are. The best thing about viewing catwalk photography online now, is that we have access to close-up images of the runway shows so that you can zoom right in and try to work out what the designers are doing so that you really appreciate the garments.

If you ever begin to feel blasé about a designer, remember that part of the problem may be that you actually aren’t seeing the clothes properly. From far away a jacket may look normal or ordinary, but in real life it may be the buttons, the lining or the careful hand stitching that wins you over.

The recent Alexander McQueen collection is definitely worthy of zooming all the way in. From afar fabrics may look incredible but it is only when you focus right in on the details that you realise the full extent of the work involved.

The black dress above is relatively understated compared to much of the collection but on closer inspection it appears that the fabric has been woven by hand, possibly out of black pony skin. And even more involved than that is the fact that the weaving appears to have been done panel by panel so that the weaving ends out of the way of the stitching lines which will join each panel to the panels around it. This way the seams do not end up too bulky. Not only that, but the strips appear to involve a complex system of small slits and silver studs which allow little glimmers of silver to shine through the black hide.

From just viewing the runway images this piece could have been glanced over appreciatively, but if you saw someone wearing this in real life then no doubt it would be much more awe inspiring. If the process is really as I have guessed below then there are hours upon hours of work in just preparing the fabric of each panel piece. 

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk». Technical images from TheCuttingClass.